The Wizard of Oz

"Whether you see it as a timeless ode to the power of friendship and imagination or as a feature-length fever trip about a girl with a subconscious bloodlust for revenge, Victor Fleming’s 1939 fantasy tale is nevertheless a certified classic. Judy Garland still wails with total conviction as the lost and confused Dorothy; Ray Bolger still astounds with his animated presence as The Scarecrow; Jack Haley still gestures flawlessly as The Tin Man; and Bert Lahr is as dainty and precious as ever as The Cowardly Lion (though his ‘pride’ has grown considerably over the years)."

"A work of almost staggering iconographic, mythological, creative and simple emotional meaning."

"This phantasmagorical fantasy really does represent old-school MGM filmmaking at its best."

"A delightful piece of wonder-working."

"Its underlying story penetrates straight to the deepest insecurities of childhood, stirs them and then reassures them."

"The songs and magic are still fresh, even if it isn't quite knowing enough, perhaps, for today's young audiences."

"Each time it is shown, this extraordinary film (which was not even the first Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum's sublime story had been filmed before as a silent and a cartoon) embraces a new generation of children who succumb to its magic..."